Argosy University
COURSE SYLLABUS
SCI110
The Rise of Modern Science
Faculty Information
Orinna M. Clark, M.S., M.A.T.
Chicago, IL
Office Hours: Mon/Wed 5-6pm
Short Faculty Bio: Instructor for over eight years and currently in a doctoral program. In the past five years, has taught undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology for nursing students, Nutrition, Human Biology, Microbiology, General Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Environmental Science, Foundation Portfolio, and College Algebra. Currently teaches at Argosy University, The Illinois Institute of Art, Harrington College of Design, and the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Has participated in field and biological research in the University of South Carolina and at the Baruch Marine Field Lab in Georgetown, SC. Has open water SCUBA diving certification and going for rescue certification (SSI).
Course description:
The course begins by exploring the evolution of science since the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries. Emphasis is placed on the development of the scientific method and its role in influencing the course of scientific discovery and perspectives on the world. Students become familiar with the fundamental nature of scientific reasoning and its importance in understanding and shaping contemporary life.
Course Pre-requisites: None
Required Textbook: Must have a textbook or coursepack with an ISBN number attached to it (My strong preference would be to develop/publish my lectures/modules into something that acquires an ISBN number. I favor this because I have found nothing currently available that satisfies our course objectives.) Until settle on best text after current review of available texts I would list “the History of Nearly Everything”
Author. (Year). Title. Edition. Publisher. ISBN: Bill Bryson, “The History of Nearly Everything”, First Edition, 2003, Broadway Books – New York, ISBN: 0-7679-0817-1.
Silver, Brian L. (2000). The ascent of science. (Paperback ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0-19-513427-3.
Course length: 7.5 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Program Outcomes:
1. Students demonstrate ability to acquire, evaluate, communicate, apply and communicate information.
1.1 Uses efficient research both traditional and electronic. R, A
1.2 Reads for comprehension, analysis and evaluation. R, A
1.3 Uses information to support their ideas and their purpose. I, R, A
1.4 Communicates to specific audiences both orally and through writing, information
they have gathered.
2. Students demonstrate ability to employ analytical skills and to solve problems.
2.1 Analyzes a problem and provides a solution for it.
2.2 Explains a problem solving technique.
2.3 Recognizes and articulates ethical situations and develops responsible solutions. I, R, A
3. Demonstrate knowledge of history and human endeavor.
3.1 Recognizes and interprets examples of civilization’s great artistic achievements. I, A
3.2 Examines through research and writing, a particular person, event, or idea from history and explaining its importance to the present day. I, A
3.3 Articulates the development of ethical systems and philosophies, comparing them with systems and attitudes of the present day
4. Demonstrate knowledge of diversity in human culture and behavior.
4.1 Applies interpersonal skills in problematical situations
4.2 Examining and reports on particular psychological studies or topics
4.3 Experiences other cultures through observation and participation.
Skill Level Key:
I = Introduce – student is introduced to the skill
R= Reinforce – skill is developed elsewhere and is reinforced in the class
A=Apply – skill is developed elsewhere and is applied in the class
Course Objectives:
1. Examine the evolution of modern science from pre-scientific modes of understanding the universe to the discovery of the scientific method of the seventeenth century. (Program Outcomes: 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2)
2. Analyze the power and limitations of the scientific method. (Program Outcomes: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.3)
3. Describe the historical application of the scientific method including its relationship to mathematics and its influence on scientific discovery. (Program Outcomes: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1)
4. Determine how scientific reasoning has impacted our view of the world and how cultural influences have affected science itself. (Program Outcomes: 1.3, 2.3, 3.2)
Topics / Readings / Assignments1 / Scientific Knowledge
· Supernatural vs. natural explanations
· The Definition of the Scientific Method as a natural quantitative mode;
· Must abandon absolute Truth but will be able to reject false explanations
· Measurement Theory and the Role of Uncertainties
· The Logics of the Scientific Method; Inductive and Deductive Components.
· Hypothesis Testing; Getting a yes or no decision the face of irreducible uncertainties in every measurement
· False positives and false negatives
/ Ch1, Ch2.
Ch6, Ch9.
Ch19 p233 to 240
2 / Mathematics and Classical Physics
· History of Mathematics from its invention to geometry through algebra to calculus and beyond.
· The Beginnings of Classical Physics: Bacon, Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler and Newton
· Motion and the radical idea of inertia – an effect with no cause
· How Newton’s Second Law of Motion revolutionizes our concept of the structure of the universe as a machine that can be understood / Ch3, Ch4, Ch5, Ch7, Ch14 p169-177.
3 / Light
· How the nature of light is a constant theme throughout the entire history of science
· Light’s practical implications for the study of the micro and macroscopic features of the universe.
· Light: Before Newton
· Light: Newton to Maxwell
· Quantum Optics: Max Planck
· Einstein’s Theories of Relativity and the Role of Light / Ch8, Ch15, Ch28, Ch29, Ch30, Ch32.
4 / Atoms
· How the idea of atoms is the central organizing principle of chemistry
· Atoms: Pre-Dalton
· Atoms: Dalton to Bohr
· Atoms: Quantum Mechanics and the wave particle dualism that results in chemistry becoming a branch of physics / Ch10, Ch11, Ch12, Ch13, Ch14 P178-180
5 / Cosmology: Origin, Evolution and Possible Ends of the Universe
· History of Cosmology; Tools and Ideas from Ptolemy to Newton to Bessel to Hubble to the Big Bang to Dark energy and Dark Matter
· Current Cosmology; Age, Size and historical development including likely endings
· WMAP results, expansion and hetrogenic galatic distribution / Ch33, Ch34, Ch35
6 / Organic Evolution
· Physical Evolution: physical forces that affect the earth’s ongoing changes; plate tectonics, climate changes, the moon, green house gases, water, extra-terrestrial catastrophes, and vulcanism.
· Organic Evolution: How living things have changed in the past (the fossil facts) and mechanisms that have been proposed to explain these changes including those of Lamark and Darwin (the theories)
· Darwin’s theory of natural selection; the idea, the evidence and the predictions
· Extremophiles and likelihood of exobiologic systems – Mars and beyond. / Ch20 / SCI110 Assessment Assignment
SCI110 Scoring Rubric:
7 / Cells and Genes
· Cell structure and their evolutionary development; prokaryote to eurkaryote
· Mendel’s Genetics and the modern developments after genes were mapped onto chromosomes and nucleaic acids
· DNA chemical structure determined; molecular biology themes / Ch21, Ch22, Ch23, Ch24, Ch26, Ch27
8 / The Future
· Nanotechnology
· Gene therapy
· Stem cells
· Silicon based artificial machines
· Redesigning human nature from physiology to behavior / Ch25, Ch36, Ch37, Ch38
Grading Criteria
Grading Scale Grading requirements
A / 100 – 93A- / 92 – 90
B+ / 89 – 88
B / 87 – 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 – 73
C- / 72 – 70
D+ / 69 – 68
D / 67 – 63
D- / 62 – 60
F / 59 and below
Attendance/participation / 10%
Weekly Assignments / 45%
Final paper / 45%
100%
Library:
All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.
Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at http://library.argosyu.edu. Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at http://library.argosyu.edu/misc/onlinedblist.html.
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosyu.edu/infolit/
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
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